


Just Wait

by Savanna (terrified_dreamer)



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Other, Peter learns about Bucky, Post-Captain America: Civil War (Movie), after civil war, he really does try, there's tension between Nat and Tony of course, tony tries
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-01
Updated: 2018-08-01
Packaged: 2019-06-16 19:56:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,395
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15444666
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/terrified_dreamer/pseuds/Savanna
Summary: After the Avenger's civil war, Tony has too many problems on his hands. Getting back home had been tough enough, but now he had to deal with Pepper, Rhodes' bad leg, the government, expenses, and worst of all himself. He isn't proud to admit to Natasha that he had forgotten about Peter during this storm of issues, but he's learned from his mistakes and he isn't going to make the kid wait any longer...hopefully.aka the AU fic where Natasha keeps Peter company while Tony yells at government officials in the other room





	Just Wait

The florescent lights above them buzzed continuously. All else was quiet. When Peter looked down into his cup of water that Natasha had offered him, he could see his distorted reflection. He wasn't thirsty, but he was grateful for Natasha's kindness.

They were at the Avengers compound, sitting in front of a glass conference room. When Peter looked over, he saw Tony gesturing wildly, and one of the government officials holding his hands up to calm him down. The conference room must be sound proof, because Tony definitely wasn't talking at his usual volume.

"How are you feeling?" Nat asked from the red chair adjacent to his.

Peter met her soft and kind gaze. He could sense something behind it. Peter smiled, "Uh, I'm okay. I heal pretty quickly." Despite that, he had a bruised eye from when Cap hit him in the face with his shield. Peter didn't mind, of course; he considered it an honor.

"Does your eye still hurt? I can go get you some ice."

He quickly shook his head before she could stand up, "No, that's okay. It doesn't hurt."

Nat nodded. "...It was from Steve, right?" She nearly chuckled. "Don't take it personal, okay?"

"Yeah, I know. We were just doing our jobs."

Nat's smile disappeared. Peter was so young-- older than when she had begun, of course, but still young --and he was already getting that mentality. Of course, that could be a good thing, but a kid like him talking like a soldier was far from appealing to her. 

The fell into silence again, and the buzzing above them seemed to grow louder. Peter was sitting up straight in his chair while Nat was more relaxed. He didn't know why he felt so nervous. 

He wanted Tony to win. He wasn't exactly sure what they were talking about, but he had a few accurate guesses. Peter didn't want them to punish Tony for simply trying to get the Avengers to stay together. How was that a bad thing? Tony wasn't the bad guy, Peter knew that for sure.

Technically, the soldier with the awesome metal arm was. Bucky. Peter didn't know anything about him except that he was handsome and had a cool arm. Apparently, he was an assassin. What Peter didn't get was why Cap was trying so hard to protect him. Although, Peter knew he'd do the same for his own friends. Nobody touched Ned. Maybe that was the only reason; Bucky was Cap's friend. Somehow Peter realized that that was a solid enough reason for Cap's actions. 

Wasn't that the same reason for Tony's actions?

Technically, some of the others fighting with Cap were the bad guys too. At first, it had really taken some damage on Peter. He loved the Avengers, and seeing them torn like that was a little heartbreaking for him. His dream had been to join them, but now there wasn't really an Avengers team anymore. He often wondered if they would settle their differences and reunite. He hoped so.

Peter saw Tony flip through a thick stack of papers. He looked away and saw that Nat was looking at him. He smiled shyly, then looked down at his water. She knew about Bucky, right? "...Miss...Widow, do you know anything about Bucky?"

Nat smiled at the name, then nodded more seriously. "I do. He's called the Winter Soldier. He's been Steve's friend since Steve entered the war."

Peter's eyes widened. "He's that old??"

Nat chuckled. "Yes. They're both old, grumpy men..." She went to continue, but didn't know what parts to leave out. What could Peter handle? She didn't know. He seemed like a tough kid, though. "Bucky was brainwashed by a group called Hydra. Because of that, he's done some bad things, making him a criminal in the eyes of the governments..." She paused, staring down at the table. "I knew Bucky. He's a good fighter."

Peter nodded in agreement. "How'd he get the arm? It's so cool!"

"He fell from a train. He lost his arm because of the huge fall. When Hydra found him, they gave him the arm."

"Oh..." Peter wondered what it was like to have something evil be a part of you. 

He looked over through the glass and saw Tony shaking his head and yelling something. Did Tony see him the way the government did, then? "Does Mr. Stark hate Bucky? Or was he just trying to prevent Cap from leaving?"

Nat didn't know how to respond, at first. She was one of the very few people who knew the truth. Sometimes she hated herself for knowing while Tony had not. "I...think it's a bit of both."

Peter was surprised. "Really?"

"....Bucky killed Stark's parents. An order from Hydra." She paused, then, "Steve knew but never told him."

Peter turned his head quickly to look at Tony, who had collapsed into a chair and covered his face with his hands. The other men kept talking and gesturing to a small stack of folders that likely held legal documents. "That's...sad." He didn't know what else to call it. "Why didn't Steve tell him?" Peter knew what his parents meant to Tony. It was no secret that Tony struggled with his father, and loved his mother so very dearly.

Nat shrugged. She spoke gently, "If you knew something like that about _your_ friend, wouldn't you want to protect them from being hurt? While also protecting your other friend, who had done the wrong without knowing?"

"Well, yeah...But if you don't say it eventually, it's gonna make it worse." 

Nat nodded. "Steve was just doing what he thought was the best choice. He's a good man, Peter."

Peter nodded quickly, "Oh! Yeah no I get that! Cap's great! I was just..." He didn't finish his sentence, but Nat understood.

There was a sudden bang on glass, which Peter heard a lot louder than Nat. They both looked over to see Tony slamming one of the officials into the glass. Peter frowned. "Is he...alright? Should we do something?"

She thought for a moment, watching Tony try to calm down while the other men tried to refocus their attention. She stood up and gestured for Peter to follow. "Let's go for a walk. It's nice outside."

"Okay." He didn't want to leave Tony there by himself, but at the same time he figured Tony wanted some space and would be in a bad mood once they finished. 

Natasha led him to a door opposite the front doors and let him outside, away from the A/C. There was a road that wrapped around the compound so people and goods could go in and out. They started their walk on it, preferring that to the grass. It was indeed nice outside, Peter soon shedding his sweater so he could bask in the sun as they walked. He didn't go for walks often, unless his walk to and from the bus stop counted. 

They walked silently for a good ten minutes or so. They still had quite a ways to go before they'd reach the compound's front doors. Peter was in awe of the compound when he first arrived, and he still was. It was a shame he had to leave right after Tony got done. Happy had offered to drive him home, but Tony said no, and Peter was glad he did. He liked the place.

Nat went to ask Peter why he had agreed to fight for Tony, but the answer was obvious. Tony was Peter's idol, his hero, his mentor. So instead, she remained silent.

Peter pointed, "Who's cars are those?"

Nat looked over. "I don't know," she answered honestly. 

Peter hummed. He looked at the compound's main building, which looked huge now that they were outside and a few hundred yards away from it. He wondered why modern architecture was just random shapes. He stared at the building's glass windows as they walked closer to it. "When do you think they'll be done?"

"I'm sure they'll finish soon."

He hummed again. He folded his sweater over his arm and looked around him. The compound had multiple buildings, which he hadn't expected before arriving. He had expected the compound to be large, though. It just made sense, since there were so many people and since Tony could literally buy whatever he wanted. 

A sudden thought popped up. "Where are Cap and Bucky going to go?"

"I don't know. Somewhere private, somewhere safe."

"So, Cap's just going to hide with Bucky? He's an Avenger, though."

Nat looked over at him and stopped walking. Peter stopped too. She chose her words cautiously, "He's a convict, Peter. A lot of us are; we're under fire right now. Cap's team had to be arrested. The air force isn't going easy on Rhodes." She gestured, "Tony's dealing with all of that right now."

 "Why is it up to Mr. Stark?" Peter tilted his head. "I mean, he's strong, but that's a lot of stuff for one person to deal with."

"Well, that's why he has me and Rhodes. He has Miss Potts, too. Nobody is ever alone, Peter--not in our family."

Peter smiled. "Right."

They walked the rest of the roadway until they were in front of the double doors Happy had dropped him off at earlier that day. Peter let Nat lead him inside and over to the colorful couches and the table with a game of chess set out. Nobody had played it. Peter wasn't sure if he knew how.

Nat sat down on one couch, so he sat down on the one opposite. He looked over and saw that the government officials were starting to pack up their briefcases. Peter stood up, nervous and wanting to know what it had all been about. He walked over and waited until all the officials filed out and there was only Tony left with a thin envelope on the table. 

Peter walked into the room. "Mr. Stark?"

Tony looked up. He smiled awkwardly, "Hey, kid." He looked past Peter and saw Nat standing close behind him. He looked back to Peter. "Sorry to keep you waiting. You ready to go home?"

"Uh, yes." They were leaving already? He had thought that Tony wanted to talk to him about something.

Tony set an arm around him and steered him towards the front doors, leaving the envelope behind. They walked outside and across to another building that was much smaller. They got in a beautiful Jaguar, and it was then that Tony turned towards him and said, "Thanks, kid. You did great."

Peter nearly blushed. "Thank you, Mr. Stark." He paused, then said, "I'm sorry they got away." It was nice to know a piece of both sides of the story. It was nice to see things from Steve's perspective, and he understood, but he still sided with Tony. He felt bad for not preventing the Avengers from splitting.

Tony shrugged. "Don't be...They got away a long time ago, way before any of that happened." Tony started the car and let FRIDAY drive it for him. He still kept his eyes on the road though, just in case. He never let anybody other than him drive except her, mainly because she was literally a program that had the ability to drive nearly perfectly. Far better than him or anyone else, at least.

"That's really cool," Peter commented, watching the wheel as it moved by itself.

Tony nodded in agreement. 

"...So, I'm going home? And then what?"

Tony had always liked the kid's enthusiasm, even if he was naive and annoying at times because of it. "You'll go to school and wait until Happy calls you."

Peter frowned. "Right..." He wanted to keep working close with Tony. He understood everything that Tony had to deal with though, and knew Tony needed some time. Peter supposed he'd keep doing his own thing: saving cats from trees, stopping bank robbers, helping old men and women cross the street, catch people stealing cars, etc. "Well, I'll be ready whenever you need me to be."

"Good." Tony glanced over at him. "So how much did Natasha tell you?"

"What?"

"You guys were chatting up a storm on the way in. Don't think I didn't see." Tony raised an eyebrow. "Well, kid?"

Peter felt nervous again. He didn't know what to say and what not to say. He wanted to tell the truth, but at the same time that seemed like his definite death. "Um...I asked about Cap. She doesn't know where he is." He hesitated and looked away, out his window. "I asked about Bucky, too. Just about his metal arm. It's really cool. He's super strong."

Tony remained silent as he thought about the fight. Yeah, Peter wasn't kidding. Bucky had nearly torn his arc reactor out. Recent memories started to surface, but he quickly blinked them away. He wasn't about to have an anxiety attack in front of Peter.

Peter looked over, and he started to worry when seeing how unhappy Tony looked. "I-I'm sorry, I shouldn't have asked her about him."

 "Who'd you side with?"

"What?"

"Do you think Cap was right?"

Peter glanced away. "Well, I think you were both right. Maybe that's why it ended up like that." 

Tony hummed. He was biased, but he tried to think of the situation like Peter did. It was quite difficult to do when his wounds were still fresh. 

Tony didn't ask any more questions after that. The ride to Aunt May's apartment was mostly silent, but neither of them minded. After arriving, Peter got out of the car. He expected Tony to drive off right away, but when he turned around, Tony put his foot on the brake so FRIDAY couldn't start the route home. Tony raised an eyebrow. 

Peter approached the rolled down window. "Um, thanks, Mr. Stark. I, I just wanted to say that I hope the Avengers get back together again."

Tony nodded. "Have a nice night, Peter."

"You too-" The window rolled up and Tony sped away. Peter huffed in slight annoyance, but smiled as he watched the car turn around the corner. He was sure things would be okay. Maybe Bucky could get some help, and then Cap would come back. He hoped so.

He hoped to be an Avenger one day, too.


End file.
